Canyon is the latest bike brand to tweak the traditional cross-country characteristics of its best full-suspension mountain bike to create a new 'downcountry' model, dubbed the Lux Trail.
The Lux Trail features longer and slacker geometry compared to the standard Lux, a longer 120mm fork and extra 10mm of rear travel, as well as other touches such as some beefed-up components that include wider bars and tires.
What started off as informal slang, 'downcountry' has now followed the likes of enduro and gravel to become a major trend in the bike industry. Canyon says that riders are seeking more capable and versatile cross-country mountain bikes, rather than pure-bred race rigs ridden by guys like Mathieu Van der Poel.
The Lux Trail, however, still shares a number of features with the race-orientated Lux, like its suspension kinematics that creates traction and improves anti-squat, space for two bottles, Impact Protection Unit (IPU) steering lock and a minimalist chain guide.
Confident descender
As the downcountry moniker suggests, the Lux Trail has been designed to be more capable on long, steep descents. A 67.5-degree head angle is combined with a 480mm reach (size large) to create more stability at speed. The bike also gets things like a shorter stem, wider bars and a dropper post.
Canyon dubs the weight of the frame at 1,905g for a size medium, and the brand says that it meets the same Category 3 durability testing standards as its trail bikes. One way the frame has shaved weight is to continue using a carbon flex pivot rather than a traditional bearing pivot, this means the Lux Trail is claimed to be only 30g heavier than the race-bred Lux which is said to be down to the Lux Trail's longer top tube.
The lightweight frame, combined with Canyon's proven Triple Phase suspension design, is then given 760mm riser bars, 30mm internal width rims, as well as 2.35 and 2.4in tires. In addition to being specced with dropper posts as standard, the range will also use the Fox 34 Step-Cast and RockShox SID 35 forks with 120mm of travel.
Canyon offers the Lux Trail in four different build options. The lightest, most premium build on offer is the Canyon Lux Trail CF 9 Emily Batty Edition, which weighs in at 10.9kg. It features a full Shimano XTR build, Fox 34SC Factory fork, Fox Transfer SL Factory dropper post, a RaceFace cockpit and Schwalbe tires for a final price of $6,999.
The CF 8 model is the only one in the range to use a SRAM drivetrain and Maxxis tires. For $6,299 you get a SRAM GX Eagle AXS drivetrain, SRAM Level brakes, RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post, and a RockShox SID 35 Select+ fork.
The cheapest model is the CF 6 which costs $3,999 and weighs 12.1Kg. It uses a full Shimano SLX build in addition to Fox suspension and Schwalbe tires.
The bikes are available in sizes S-XL, and Canyon's website says the earliest you'll be able to get one is in the Spring of 2022.
